Sihanoukville to Kep

Thursday 18th March

Went for swim in sea before breakfast, but wind direction had changed and there were large waves with a strong current so we didn't venture far.

Hired the hotel minivan to take us to the transport stop for Kampot traffic. The driver found a minibus leaving at 11am and we put our bags on board and wandered around town for an hour.

This just confirmed our first impressions that although a lot of development is going on, Sihanoukville is not really a place where you would want to stay yet.


Back at the minibus, when we mentioned we were going on to Kep, a heated discussion broke out between a taxi driver who wanted to take us all the way for 25$, and the minibus driver who said ( through an interpreter) that he would match the figure.

So we roared off in the minibus along good roads to Kampot. There weren't many passengers so even though there was no air conditioning and the temperature was about 33C, it was still a pleasant trip.

At Kanpot all the rest of the passengers got off, and we tried to explain to the driver and his mates where the guesthous was. This was a bit tricky as he couldn't read a map ( or I suspect any form of writing), and any way the road we wanted didn't have a name.

However the driver resourcefully called an English speaking friend on his mobile, and I explained we wanted to go 'close' to the Verandah resort. The friend luckily knew where this was and off we went, this time along a single track but metalled road.

We found the road easily, and as we stopped on the unmade-up track Christine spotted a sign to 'Au Bout du Monde' 150m further up. Smiles all round. The driver was pleased to have found the correct address, and his mate carried our bag up the steep path to reception.


We are staying in 'Holy' bungalow ( that isn't a mistake, that is how it is written), on the side of a steep hill range overlooking the sea about a kilometre away. The bungalow is constructed from sticks with rattan matting walls. The bedroom is just above ground, but the living area which is a large verandah, as the ground slopes down, is supported on posts increasing up to ten feet tall.
it is a little like being in the tree house, as you can look down to the ground between the split staves of the floor. However it has an en-suite and a mosquito net, so we are far from slumming it.

Life became more difficult as night fell as there was no electricity. The supply in these parts is somewhat erratic, and we were fearing that dinner might not be possible.

Confidence was not increased as the sites generator spluttered into action then died every time the load was connected. However finally the mains supply arrived, as did Christine's dinner a mere hour and a half after she had ordered it.